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January 2005
Media, Occult, University Meteorologists from Keele University have been at a loss to explain the heavy localised storms that have affected the area for the last week. Initial investigations focussed on the movements of other weather fronts, but this produced no viable explanation for the phenomena. One possibility that is now being investigated is that the atmosphere has been artificially “ionised” in the city, although this would not explain why the surrounding area had not been affected (high altitude winds would have surely moved the storms into surrounding areas). Research into the phenomena is set to continue. Occult, University With all of the storm activity that is happening in the city at the moment it should come as no surprise that the likelihood of tall buildings being struck by lightning has greatly increased. However, more unusual are repeated strikes on low level protrusions, especially when they are surrounded by taller structures. The site of the former GAOM Tower has been struck by lightning no less than ten times over the last week; almost four times the number of the next most frequently hit structure of the same height within the city. Works to complete the clearance of the site have been delayed as a result, leading to the February completion date for demolition and clearance works being put back to March. Meteorologists from Keele University continue to investigate. Occult Life can sometimes be dictated and explained by repetition and pattern. If lightning continues to strike a single point, then a pattern exists. If lightning continues to strike a single point after striking five related points beforehand, then we have both repetition and pattern. Whilst much has been made of the fact that the site of the former GAOM Tower was struck ten times over the last week, one aspect that has not been reported is that each of the other five towers were struck in turn beforehand. No plausible explanation has been found for the phenomena yet. Occult, Street, Underworld Whilst everyone’s busy looking for a plausible explanation to why lightning strikes, they should really be looking for other reasons that aren’t explained in books. Local superstition states that The Electric Lady lives under the tower and that she has been growing in power over the last months. Maybe this is all a light show designed to show what she can really do. After all, they don’t call her The Electric Lady for nothing. Bureaucracy, Industry, Politics Researchers from Saturn XI have been allowed on the site of the GAOM Tower development in order to try out new equipment designed to harness the electrical power generated by storms. Initial tests have proved inconclusive, with only ten percent of the estimated power being converted into a reusable source. Tests are set to continue for as long as the storms last despite protests from a number of Safety Groups about the project. Bureaucracy, Industry Saturn XI has completed the installation of its data transfer system within the local council offices and is now turning its attention to local businesses. The first to benefit will be the Asharaka, who are to have the system installed within their tower before going ahead with the rest of their facilities. Presently no other companies have shown an intention to follow Asharaka’s lead, but given that the company is predicting a five percent rise in profits as a result of improved business practices this may only be a matter of time. Occult, Street I was plugged into the web, ready to do some serious work when all of a sudden out of nowhere comes this big freakin’ spike that near enough flat-lined my computer. I ain’t ever seen anything like it! Normal spikes just throw out the screen for a few seconds, but this one you saw coming. It was weird; it even had a face, all plastic like and smooth, definitely feminine. Weird thing is I’ve been seeing things like this more and more over the last few months, bugs appearing in the city’s computer systems. Only a few systems seem to be immune to these intrusions, and I wouldn’t normally go playing about with those ones as a matter of course. (Anonymous Hacker) Bureaucracy, Finance, Media, Police Swiss Authorities are still at a loss to explain the disappearance of over $36,000,000,000 worth of gold from their depositories (or even more so, how someone managed to replace it with 36,000 tonnes of lead) without anyone noticing. Investigators are still refusing to explain who was behind the theft, but the media continues to focus on the possible involvement of “White Flowers”. This line of investigation has been thrown into doubt however by the mergence of a possible sighting of “White Flowers” in France at the time of the attack. Investigations are to continue. Media, Police, Politics Investigations continue into the identity (or identities) of the terrorist “White Flowers”. Investigations have been given an added importance by the first confirmed fatality attributable to the individual. Security staff at the Asharaka Tower reported an intrusion last month, and when members of The Constabulary were sent to investigate they were killed in a gunfight with an individual who was later identified as “White Flowers”. Members of The Constabulary are continuing to investigate the issue. Politics, Street, Underworld It was only a matter of time, but it appears that someone is using the identity of “White Flowers” as a means of disguising their own actions. You want proof? First point, up until the second event of the Asharaka Tower, no persons had been killed by “White Flowers”, indeed, care had been taken to ensure that their were no casualties. Secondly, there have been no previous instances of “White Flowers” returning to the scene of previous crimes. Lastly, what was to be gained from raiding the Asharaka Tower for a second time? Far more likely is that someone is trying to turn public opinion against “White Flowers” rather than risk popular public support for his actions. Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Media Whilst financial markets the world over were thrown into chaos following the theft from the Swiss Gold Reserve it appears that one British financial player is made of sturdier stuff. One private buyer bought the ownership rights for 18,000 tonnes of the replacement lead, with the provision that they now owned “the metals currently contained and stored within the vaults”. They have also taken out an injunction against the authorities preventing them from removing the lead from the vaults for scientific and forensic analysis. Gold prices immediately stabilised following the purchase, and lead prices rose sharply before stabilising. A block has been placed on the purchase of further materials from the vaults. No further details of the private buyer have emerged. Finance, Industry, Legal, Media Following many months of private talks it seems likely that the Britannia Building Society will have a new Chairman in March. Candidates for the post have to be in place before the end of the previous year and considerations have now closed. The fore runner for the post is Endon Dane, a local businessman with links to a number of other companies in the city. Three months of intense negotiations are set to begin to determine who will become the Chairman, with the victor being announced in April. Bureaucracy, Legal, Police The Constabulary continue to investigate the identity of the “Skinless Man” found on Mow Cop last month. Whilst the principal focus remains the removal of a surgical pin from the man’s knee, it has been revealed that the man had no involvement with the Gambino Family. Meanwhile, members of The Constabulary are also undertaking investigations with Special Branch into the possible bugging of their facilities by an unknown Government Agency following the discovery of recording devices at their headquarters. No one has come forward to explain the reasons behind the bugging. High Society, Media, Police Whilst missing people are not usually a high priority for The Constabulary, the disappearance of the prominent actor William Patton has proved an exception. A high profile actor, famed for his uncanny ability to mimic others voices, he went missing over ten months ago. The Constabulary has not released details of the disappearance until now because it was believed that he had been employed to undertake work on behalf of a private client. The Constabulary are asking that anyone who may have information about his disappearance to contact them. Health, Police, Street You know that guy they found up on Mow Cop the other month, skinned and everything. Well, someone told me that the pin they found in his knee wasn’t the only surgery he’d had done. It appears that whoever it was they had a fondness for plastic surgery, as there were signs of excessive surgery to his face. This hasn’t helped them identify him yet, but the big question is why haven’t they released this information to the public yet? Media, Police, Underworld After a couple of months of relative quiet, The Daughters of the Desert began the New Year in a spectacular fashion, launching fresh attacks against The Gambino Family in an attempt to gain ground to the north of the city following reports that former members of the Sandernacht Group may be regrouping in the south if the city (although these rumours have yet to be confirmed). It is even rumoured that these attacks have been personally lead by The Electric Lady herself, although as always this remains pure speculation. Police, Underworld With fresh attacks against The Gambino Family, the spectre of gang related violence running wild across the city has once again raised its head. Whilst many have been quick to condemn the recent actions of The Daughters of the Desert, others are questioning why they have chosen to attack now after months of relative quiet. Meanwhile, The Constabulary has chosen to focus on the supposed re-emergence of the Sandernacht Group to the south of the city, furthering claims that they are being paid off by The Daughters. Church, Media, Street A number of charities have withdrawn their support of local Churches following last months support for the execution of Andrew Sant. No explanation for their support has yet been given, but they continue to do so. Meanwhile, the Muslim Community continues to organise protests against the execution, and are planning a number of public demonstrations within the city. Bureaucracy, Police, Politics, Transport Whilst publicly the authorities continue to praise the success of Operation Spore Killer, privately the operation has caused a real headache, with large portions of the city’s sewers now being declared unsafe due to new infection in the system. Additionally, a number of underground parking facilities have also been closed when it emerged that the infection had also spread into occupied areas. The authorities are currently assessing how to deal with the situation again.